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The Multi-County New Landowner Education program is a series of 8 informational meetings, seminars, and field days designed to make new landowners in Austin, Colorado, Fayette, & Washington Counties aware of what types of agricultural enterprises are best for their property.  Participants in the program will hear from experts in a variety of fields in agriculture about best management practices that can be implemented on their own property.  This innovative program assists new landowners in understanding the concepts of rural living.  Participants in the program are given exposure to ideas on raising livestock and horses, plant identification, fence building, applying pesticides, soil testing, stock pond management, pond construction, fruit and nut production, rainwater harvesting, turf management, and much more.  The program also serves as a way for new residents of the four counties to network and meet new people in their communities, find out what can be done on their land, what operations can be successful, and possibly what opportunities they have to serve the community.

The programs will be held on the third Friday of the months of February through May, and August through November.  Each month’s meeting will be held at different locations in one of the four counties. The meetings begin at 1:30pm and will last between 4 and 5 hours depending on the topic and possible tour stops.  The cost for the program series is $125.00 per person, $200.00 per couple for all seven meetings, $20.00 per person per meeting.  Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) for pesticide applicators will be offered as they are applicable.  A great selection of refreshments will be provided at each session.  Participants who sign up for the entire series will receive a notebook at the beginning of the series to fill as we progress through the program with handouts and reference material that will be useful as they move forward with improvements on their property.

April 21^st – Weed & Brush Control – Plant Identification and Control Recommendations for Common Weeds and Brush

May 19^th – Forage &/or Livestock Production – Options for Small Acreage Operations

August 18^th – Bees and Trees for Homeowners

September 15^th – Horticulture Production – Fruit Trees, Pecans, and Grapes for Landowners

October 20^th – Wildlife Management and Native Prairie Restoration

November 17^th – Emerging Issues for Rural Landowners

April Program – Weed & Brush Management – Immaculate Conception Catholic Church-Parish Hall

The April meeting for the 2023 series will take place on Friday, April 21, 2023, at the Immaculate Conception German Catholic Church-Parish Hall located at 15994 TX-159 in Industry. The goal of this session is to help landowners identify common weeds and brush species in our area. In addition to identifying problem species, we will cover the ins and outs of why we have the weeds we do, how to determine the most effective treatment option, as well as covering a variety of herbicides and application methods for management and control of these plants.  This is a great opportunity to network with other new landowners and learn about resources that can be of great assistance to you in establishing and/or managing a pond for your property. Also, if you have a weed you would like identified please bring it and we will be glad to identify it for you.  Any plant sample needs to be as fresh as possible, include leaves and roots, and flower (if applicable). Three CEUs (2 Gen, 1 IPM) will be available for licensed pesticide applicators. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity!

For more information, please contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Austin County (979-865-2072), Colorado County (979-732-2082), Fayette County (979-968-5831), or Washington County (979-277-6212).  Registration materials and more information can also be found on our website, https://washington.agrilife.org/nlo